#Timaeus Valhourdin

[lunarosewood23]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt 2: Bolt

Timaeus is experimenting with his powers, and discovers a new arcane equip.

NOTE: Some spoilers from the Endwalker caster role quest, which I am rewriting bc that kid deserved better. Timaeus is my rendition of the clone that became the blasphemy of Ishgard. The super lazy TLDR of his powers is this: Timaeus was basically born with Allagan summoning programmed into his brain. And his egis, the adorable carbuncles I keep going nuts over? Those are the primal egi knights of the Ward, who are ofc alive in LbR. Timaeus is officially adopted by Zephirin and takes Valhourdin as his last name. And his powers are a little fucky, as I’m still meddling with his skillset to make sure it’s not too broken. (He can have a little OPness, as a treat! :3)

~~~

Timaeus couldn’t help but stare at the newfound gauge in his grimoire. It was a simple thing, but it felt much more complex. The way the glyphs looked to be that of a sword, a wand, an axe, and a spear was intriguing, and he wondered if there were multiple combinations of the sigils that gave him access to different arcane equips.

“Let’s see, sword plus sword gave me Angel’s arcane equip, the golden armor with the white greatsword...”He mutters to himself. “That’s the only one I’ve tried so far, and truthfully I don’t entirely know how I did it...”

He sighed with a pout and looked out the window. “I wish big sister was here, she’d be happy to experiment with me...”

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice that he was pacing until he missed a step and went tumbling down the stairs into the kitchens. He let out a startled cry as tears gathered in his eyes from the fall, biting his lip to keep his pained cry from being loud.

“Owwie...” He mumbled as he fixed his glasses, a sudden bolt of pain rushing through his head.

“Hey lad, are you alright?”

Timaeus jumped as he looked up to see Hermenost knelt in front of him.

“F-Father Hermenost! Yes, I-I’m alright. I just missed a step.” He stammered as he tried to stand up. “I...wanted to play a little with my new powers but I don’t have anyone to really record what I’m doing. Big sister was helping but she got called by her friends...”

Hermenost steadied Timaeus as he got up, handing him his grimoire. “Would you like help? I may not entirely understand arcanima or the art that Mingxia has helped train you in, but I am still a mage despite my use of a battle axe.”

Timaeus stared wide eyed at Hermenost before shaking his head. “Sorry, I’m just...so cool...”

Hermenost laughed as he gently ruffled his hair. “What exactly are you doing?”

Timaeus got the biggest smile on his face, he knew he was acting incredibly childish, but he couldn’t help it as he excitedly started to open his grimoire, but then bit his lip in concern as he remembered that his egis could cause panic among the knights. He didn’t want to hurt anyone...

“Father Hermenost, can I ask you to not be upset about my powers?” He asked shyly, hugging his grimoire to his chest as his ears drooped in worry.

Hermenost gave him a confused look, and Timaeus hesitantly summoned one of his egis, making him gasp in surprise. “How...”

“Bis sister Mingxia thinks I was experimented on, which is why my memory is so fuzzy. But I can summon these egis like she can certain primal egis as her summoner. Big brother Zephirin is worried that I might hurt someone, or make them angry because of them. The big scary black dragon that appeared isn’t helping anything...”Timaeus explains slowly. “It’s why I’m a little worried to ask for help, but I don’t know who else I can ask...”

Hermenost is stunned by the egi at Timaeus’s feet, the knight egi holding a smaller scale of his old weapon, Greycloud. This was the form he took as a primal.

By the Fury, no wonder Zephirin was worried.

“I understand. I’m not upset and I see why Zephirin was worried.” Hermenost assured slowly. He let his eyes slip closed for just a moment, a silent prayer to Halone for guidance. “I will help you, but I do request that you explain all you know and understand of your situation.”

Timaeus nodded, his smile returning. “Okay. Can we go somewhere else? Maybe in the highlands? I wanna see if I can recreate what I did a few days ago.”

Hermenost nodded and the two of them walked through the city, letting Timaeus give his theory of this “arcane equipment” that he conjured and showed him the gauge in his grimoire, the thing he wanted to test was the idea of using the glyphs in different orders to get different effects. Once out of the walls of the city, he started to explain what he and Mingxia pieced together.

Hermenost’s heart broke for the boy as he squeezed his shoulder soothingly. “Blessed Fury lad...”

“We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.” Timaeus assured as he spotted an aevis, who charged at him. “Alright, let’s see how well this works.”

It took all his instinct to not jump to Timaeus’s defense as his egis stood at the ready. He drew his grimoire and threw out several spells before two glyphs looked to light up in his grimoire. One was an axe, but he wasn’t sure what the other glyph was.

Suddenly he saw the smaller egi of himself draw forward and looked to disperse before it reformed...using Timaeus as its host.

Timaeus jumped and slammed Greycloud on the ground and a bolt of lightning paralized the aevis before the armor released and Timaeus fell on his face in the snow.

“Timaeus!” Hermenost shouted as he ran up to him, watching as the other egis swarmed their creator. A thumbs up came up from the snow as he lifted his face up before picking up his grimoire and grabbed his quill.

“Axe plus wand equals levinlight!” He cheered as Hermenost sat him up in a sitting position and fixed his glasses.

“What in the Fury’s name was that??” Hermenost asked, stunned by what he saw.

“That, Father Hermenost,” Timaeus replied with a pleased smile. “Was my arcane equipment!”

[lunarosewood23]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt 7: Pawn

Zephirin reflects on the final fight and defeat of the blasphemy, and the cost his little brother paid in the process.

~~~

Zephirin frowned as he looked down at Timaeus, his breathing slow, almost too slow, but even. The final fight against Profane Fafnir was brutal, but they managed to win and put the former expungator to rest.

The cost of that however, was not something his little brother should’ve had to pay.

"I was supposed to be the pawn Bishop Vartinoux and the church would use to restore Ishgard to its former glory. Let me instead steer Ishgard towards her future." Timaeus says, his knight egis surrounding the blasphemy as he drew a massive blade from his grimoire. "To me my friends! Shining Ascalon!!"

Tears stung in his eyes even as he held them back. Haumeric said he was out of critical danger, but it would still take time for him to wake up.

“Zephirin?”

He looked up to see his mother, carrying a few blankets that they both knew Timaeus and his egis adored. “How’s my little changeling?”

Zephirin sighed as he looked down again. “No change. It’s only been a few days but it feels like sennights.”

Melisie frowned as she put the blankets over him and tucked him in like a child before brushing the bangs from his eyes. “Is there really nothing else we can do for the boy?”

“Unfortunately no, not without risking our own lives.” He replied as he slumped in his chair. “Blessed Fury...”

“I know what you’re thinking, my sunset wind, and I beg you, do not blame yourself for this.” Melisie pleaded with her son as she took his hands in hers. “Timaeus wouldn’t want that either.”

“Timaeus shouldn’t have had to risk himself for all of us. There were fifteen of us fighting the blasphemy, why was my little brother the one who almost died saving us...” 

“Maybe because he didn’t want you giving anymore than you already have.” Melisie replied firmly, making Zephirin look at her as she squeezed his hands. “All twelve of you have already sacrificed your lives as pawns for the Archbishop’s asinine ambitions. Aymeric has all of Ishgard on his back and Raven? Fury keep the girl she has the whole star upon her shoulders.”

Zephirin sighed as he looked back to his little brother and squinted when he saw the blankets suddenly begin to move. Melisie looked over and slowly pulled back the blankets to reveal the head of a golden carbuncle.

“Oh!” Melisie jumped, startled as Zephirin smiled and rubbed at the carbuncle’s ears.

“I hope this means he’ll wake up soon.” He mumbles as the carbuncle licks at his hand. “What do you think Angel?”

The carbuncle made a burr noise at him as it jumped over to sit in his lap.

[lunarosewood23]

"Oh, hello! I'm Timaeus Valhourdin. It's nice to meet you. It's no surprise you haven't heard of me. A lot of horrific things happened and I seem to have a fairly messy memory. However I'm a skilled summoner! Just...don't mind what my egis look like. I still don't know how I'm doing this. But enough about me. Would you please tell me your story?"

Caster role quest spoilers under the cut

AU where we somehow save the clone of Zephirin from the caster quests, and he gets his own name and skills. He claims himself to be Zephirin’s bastard brother to save the headache of coincidence (he asked Zephirin first and he's ok with it.) His egis are the twelve knights, their memories still swarm in his head but quiets the more he uses his egis. They later change to being twelve armored carbuncles. Why? Because he thought they were cuter. :3

And yes, in mine and my best friend’s AU, the Ward are alive thanks to a lot of shenaniganry. So Zephirin gets an adorable little brother.

[lunarosewood23]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt 22: Veracity

Timaeus deals with the truth of his creation.

~~~

He felt cold. As cold as he did when he was tempered, despite the hands holding him.

He was a clone, a failed summoning attempt to bring back Thordan and the knights twelve back, and then left alone to die.

Timaeus knew he wasn't normal, but this felt even worse than the idea that he had just been experimented on. The other option would at least have given him the idea that he had at least been born, not some test tube subject.

He felt like an imposter.

"Timaeus?"

Timaeus looked up, and realized that he had been passed to Zephirin, who was rubbing his back comfortingly. Angel had also gotten up on his lap to comfort him.

"Talk to us, you're freezing..." He stated, and Timaeus felt tears in his eyes that he couldn't hold back. He clung to Zephirin and just...sobbed. His heart hurt, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be anymore.

He felt Zephirin squeeze him tight against him and tucked his head under his chin.

"Timaeus listen to me alright?" He softly asked after a moment of letting him cry. "The veracity of your creation is horrifying, but what matters is that you're here now. Alright? You're here, and you are wanted. You are my little brother and I will do whatever I can to help."

"I wish we really were brothers...that I had actually grown up with you..." Timaeus mumbled. "I feel like I'm an imposter."

"You're not trying to take over my life, you're just trying to live. You are your own person. The magic you're able to do? I'm not capable of it. I have rudimentary skill in conjury and perhaps the most basic knowledge of thaumaturgy from our mother. Even if it came from what happened to you, you made it yours." Zephirin reminded him. The golden carbuncle in Timaeus's lap chittered in affirmation and put their front paws on his chest to bump their head on his chin. When Timaeus looked down the carbuncle licked his cheek, making him smile weakly and cuddle the carbuncle close.

"I'll try to remember big brother. It's just really hard. And scary. I remember being left there in that bright place, that I was a failure..." He mumbled. "Escaping was even more terrifying, there were so many monsters..."

"And you say you're not a knight..." Zephirin mused. "You were brave to escape, and you're brave now to face the truth of what happened. Just remember that you are not alone. Every single person you've met are here for you and do not blame you for what happened to you."

Timaeus wiped his eyes as he nodded, the feeling of the other egis and carbuncles swarming his legs and trying to climb up to cuddle with him making him giggle.

He didn't feel so cold anymore. It lingered, but its sting wasn't as biting.

[lunarosewood23]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt 10: Channel

More Timaeus playing with his new powers and testing the limits of them.

Borrowing @inkblood-mistrieu’s Mingxia, who is absolutely a bad influence. And I also had her help bc while I know she’s random, I still can’t get the exact randomness, y’know?

~~~

“Big sister!!” Timaeus cheered with an enthusiastic wave as Mingxia landed over at the aetheryte near Kaia’s forge.

She grinned as she ran up to him to give him a hug. “Tim! How have you been little brother?”

“Ok enough. Lookie!! I’ve been playing with my powers! I’ve figured out a few combinations for my arcane equips thanks to Father Hermenost!” He says excitedly as he hands her his grimoire.

"How neat little brother!" Mingxia says as she looks over the list of glyph combinations. "I'm proud that you're getting so much done, especially in so short of time!"

His whole face lit up with a bright smile as she ruffled his hair. “Wanna help me some more big sister?”

“Of course I will!” She replies with a grin. “Come on!”

With that the two of them headed out into the Highlands, specifically deciding it would be wise to go cull voidsent down in Witchdrop as a test.

“How many have you found you can channel at once?”

“Currently? One at a time.”

“I meant in a single battle. How many of the arcane equips can you use without it being a serious tax on your aether?” Mingxia asked.

Timaeus thought about it and shrugged. “I haven’t tested it actually.”

“Wanna see?”

“Yeah!” He cheers. “Big sister will save me if something goes crazy!”

She giggles as they start their experiment. It started out normal enough, get a couple spells off then swap to an arcane equip.

A wand, then a spear, and suddenly he was draped in red robes and carrying an ornate white staff with star sapphires, and a sudden burst of flame ripped from the staff eradicating several Voidrouga. He dropped the form and cast a few more spells before a wand and a sword lit up. He was draped in golden robes and holding a different staff, this one white with...aquamarines? He wasn’t sure, but it was spiky, and it looked like the sky opened up and meteors fell on the voidsent.

He let go of the form and he dropped to his knees, but there were still several more of them and he wasn’t done yet.

“Tim, hey Tim are you okay?”

“I’m okay! I wanna try one more!” He called as he swiftcasted a few spells then he saw an axe light up first, then a spear.

A heavy double bladed axe was in his hands and he was wearing bronze and blue armor. He slammed the axe on the ground and made the ground shake with the impact, causing a ripple in the ground. The armor dispersed and he collapsed, faceplanting into the snow.

“Hey I think you’re at your limit Tim, take a break.” She tried to say as he started to stand up and began casting, but right as he tried for another equip, he began to cough, blood dripping from his mouth as he fell on his knees.

“Oh sh- Tim! Tim, stop, don’t cast anymore, breathe,” she made a complicated-looking gesture over her codex, and both she and her fairy channeled aether into him. “Nald’s golden scales, Tim, if you’re tired, don’t push it. That’s your body telling you enough’s enough.”

Timaeus looked up at her from his spot in the snow, a pout on his blood-stained lips. “I was hoping I could do more, like how you can big sister.”

“You’re already doing really well for how recently you started, Tim. I’m not a good standard to measure up against. I’m considered to be pretty weird by most normal metrics.” Mingxia shook her head a little as she continued checking him over, a hand lightly running through his hair as he nuzzled his face against her the way a little kid does when seeking comfort.

“But you’re able to do so much with your arcanima. I have twelve arcane equips I can use and I can’t seem to use even a third of them all before my body wears out...” He mumbled before another coughing fit took him by surprise. No blood thankfully, but he felt crappy all the same. “I’m hungry, and sleepy, and I don’t know which one first...”

“You, little brother, have something I don’t, and that is power. I specialize in control. I don’t have a lot to work with, so I have to stretch my aether out as far as I can. I’ve also had much more time than you to develop and refine my technique. It took years to get to this point, so don’t expect so much progress overnight.” She pulled out a package of pineapple ponzecake.  “Here, eat this. I find it helpful with restoring one’s aether, but it is a bit dense.”

Timaeus sighed, she had a point, and he hugged her tightly. When she hands him the ponzecake he takes it and bites into it before eating the whole thing in nearly one sitting. “It’s so good! Did you make it big sister?”

“Yep! I’ll give you the recipe when we get back, and once you’ve gotten some sleep.” Mingxia says as she helps Timaeus to his feet. He’s wobbly from using so much aether, but he can lean on her alright. He wiped his mouth of what little blood was left, he didn’t want to make his big brother worry too much.

“Umm big sister?”

“What’s up?”

“Can we not tell big brother Zephirin I did this?”

“Why?” Mingxia asked.

“Because...” He mumbles. “He’s already got so much to worry over, with the blasphemy and the other knights and Kaia, I don’t wanna add to it.”

“Well, I suppose he doesn’t need to know about this right now…we did fix it pretty quickly. But only if you promise to listen when your body’s telling you to stop. There’s only enough room for one crazy person here, and you haven’t quite got the “be crazy safely” part down yet.” Mingxia agreed, her tone turning slightly playful towards the end.

“Okay.” Timaeus agreed with a giggle.

[lunarosewood23]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt 17: Novel

Oh I am so late with this Q.Q Thank you @inkblood-mistrieu for her help in this one with her girl Mingxia and her dad Hairong.

Timaeus is at a party, the whole experience is a big sensory overload.

The carbies in this fic: Levenlight: Purple buncle that looks like static in his fur Strawberry: Strawberry pink buncle Blueberry: Blueberry blue buncle Angel: Golden buncle

Timaeus was starting to wonder if going to this big party was a bad idea.

There were so many people around and it was so loud...

It was supposed to be a Starlight party of sorts with the Jiangs, and the whole of the family had been invited. And while he was glad to have joined them...

It was a lot.

He looked around for a quiet place but it was all chaotic, he ended up ducking into one of the guest rooms in the house, or it looked like a guest room anyway. He sank to the floor, covering his head in the process to help block out some of the sound, trying to focus on his breathing. Several of his carbuncles had piled in with him and their purring was helping a little, but it was still so loud that his head hurt, loud and bright...

"Do you mind if I join you, Timaeus?"

Timaeus jumped. "M-Mr Hairong! I...um, sure?"

Hairong nodded and slowly lowered himself into a sitting position beside Timaeus. “Rather noisy bunch, aren’t they?”

Timaeus nodded, hugging his knees as the carbuncles scattered, but slowly came back to sniff at Hairong. “Sorry, I didn’t realize this room was in use...I just needed somewhere dark and quiet...”

“No need to apologize, young one. I needed a little space myself. The girls tend to be lively around others. Gets to be a bit much sometimes.”  He leaned back onto his elbows, putting his cane to the side and absently reached over to pet the ones closest to him. The muffled sounds of the celebration mingled with the sounds of the One River’s rushing currents.

“Aww Levinlight seems to like you...” Timaeus mused as he watched the purple carbuncle purr under Hairong’s petting, the sound reminding him of rumbling thunder.

“Is that so? I am honored, little storm shiki.” Hairong rubbed the carbuncle’s cheeks. “Oho, how like a cat you are. Your summoner must be wise indeed.”

“I don’t feel wise, all things considered...” Timaeus mumbled, but his ears registered the strange word. “What’s a she-ki? Did I say that right?”

“You are close. It is shiki. Simply say what you said, but faster.” Hairong scratched Levinlight under its chin as he spoke. “They are the familiars of summoners- or so I am told. We do not see many around here, though I am told a master onmyouji lives in Reisen Temple.”

Timaeus mumbled the new word to himself before nodding. “Is that what egis and summoners are called in the Far East?” He asked, then looked away, blushing in embarrassment. “Err, sorry, despite my appearance I’m still really, really young and don’t know much about the world...” 

Hairong nodded.  “From what Little Fish has said of the art, they are…close enough.” He patted Timaeus on the shoulder. “No need to worry, young one. You need not apologize for your youth. I do not know how you came to be this way, but it matters little. Once Little Fish has adopted someone into her shoal, they are family here as well.”

Timaeus feels tears start to sting in his eyes, and he was a little thankful for the dark. He didn’t remember much of his beginning, a lot of running and being really, really cold, but he remembered Mingxia giving him food and clothes and teaching him the art that lets him have his carbuncles.

“Yeah...big sister is really kind. She rescued me when I was sunk so low I thought I was going to be consumed. She was so sick herself, but she still stubbornly stayed with me and kept me warm while I figured out what had happened to me.”

Hairong smiled even as he was shaking his head. “Aiyah, I should get ready to become a grandfather soon. All this time away and I miss her learning how to take care of people.”

Mingxia apparently decided that was apparently a good time to knock on the door. “Omig- baba! You’re embarrassing me!”

“If you would learn to take care of yourself as well as you do the others I would not feel the need to! Besides that, we are family, and that means you know each other’s embarrassing secrets. Your great-grandmother used to say that helped you stick together better.” Hairong called through the door. “You can come in if you want.” 

Mingxia slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. “Really? Great-grandmother? The one who was apparently a menace of a pirate?”

“Yes, that one. She had the better part of the Ruby Sea wrapped around her finger. Much like you and your oceans-spanning shoal.” Hairong replied.

Timaeus laughed at the whole exchange as Strawberry and Blueberry bolted over to Mingxia and put their paws on her legs. "Sorry if I made you worry big sister. It was just a little overwhelming with how loud and how many people there were."

"That's ok Tim! I’m sure this is a novel experience for you.” She picked up both of the carbuncles and pet them. “I should have checked with you first, sorry about that.”

“Novel?” He wondered to himself, trying to figure out what she meant, this wasn’t a story, was it?

“New, little brother. It’s a new experience!” She clarified.

“Ohhhh...right...” He realized as Angel nuzzled him. He smiled and rubbed the carbuncle’s ears.

“Are you feeling better now little brother?” Mingxia asked. “It’s ok if you need more time, I just didn’t see you and wondered where you went.”

Timaeus thought about it for a second, listening to Angel purr against his chest. “I’ll be there in a little bit, my head is still ringing from everything.”

“Okay~” She replied as Strawberry and Blueberry crawled on her shoulders so she could give him a hug. “Take as much time as you need little brother, okay?”

“Okay.” He nodded as Hairong settled in further.

“I’ll stay with the boy if he’s amenable to the company.” Hairong added. “If nothing else I may take him and his little shiki out to the docks and teach him how to fish.”

“...Er. Before that. Tim. Um. Do you know how to swim?” Mingxia asked in concern.

He shook his head, and Hairong laughed. “Well it’s never too late to learn now is it young one?”

“I wouldn’t mind learning...” He replied as he yawned. “Oh, excuse me, I guess I’m getting sleepy...”

“Then sleep, there’s extra blankets in the closet over there and a dresser with some sleep clothes on the far wall.” Hairong replied as he grabbed his cane and got up, Levinlight jumping up on Hairong’s shoulder.

Mingxia nodded. “Sometimes when you get overwhelmed you get really tired after. Think like when you use too much magic, you gotta rest afterwards. It’s like recharging your mana but for your mind!”

Timaeus thought about it but another yawn escaped and he sighed. “If it’s really okay, I guess I could take a nap. Will you just tell big brother and Mama that I’m ok?”

“Will do!”

“Rest well young one, we’ll wake you when you’re needed.” Hairong added.

With that the two of them left, the carbuncles that were snuggled with them staying to cuddle with him with the rest. Timaeus couldn’t help but smile as he crawled into bed and the carbuncles took their spots around him or on top of him.

He drifted off to sleep to the currents of the river and the purring of his friends.